Cleveland Museum of Art

Saint John the Baptist

Giulio Campagnola

Date

c. 1505

Medium

engraving

Culture

Italy, 16th century

Department

Prints

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Slender and weathered from preaching in the wilderness where he lived on locusts and wild honey, John the Baptist carries a bowl of water, symbolizing his role as the baptizer of Christ. In this print, Campagnola combined engraved lines with his innovative stipple technique, in which tiny dots softly shade the surface of the saint’s body and produce the hazy atmosphere of the rustic landscape. The small bowl held by the saint signifies his role as baptizer of Christ.

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